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Andria Buchanan | The Great Thing About Fairytales And A List Of My Top 5 Favorite Retellings
Iβve been thinking a lot about fairytales lately. My new series, the Chronicles of Nerissette,
is based on a group
of teenagers who get sucked through a book of fairytales in the library and end
up in a magical world
thatβs on the brink of civil war. As I was writing these books I spent a lot of
time pouring over fairytales
and fairytale retellings, trying to figure out what it was that made them
resonate. What is it about
princesses locked in towers and brave princes on white horses that sticks with
us. Then I found a quote by
G.K. Chesterton and it seemed to sum it up for me:
βFairytales don't tell children that dragons exist; children already know that
dragons exist. Fairytales tell
children that dragons can be killed.β ―Β G.K. Chesterton
The problem wasβin my books, the dragons are the good guys. Not to give away too
big of a spoilerβitβs
pretty obvious really if youβve gotten past about page 3βbut the love interest
in my series is a dragon.
But I rolled the quote around in my head and I realized that old G.K. had it
half right. Itβs not the dragons
we need fairytales forβitβs the evil that the dragons in old school fairytales
were meant to embody. And I
think thatβs what fairytales and Harry Potter and all those stories that
resonate for us is that all of them
show us the same thingβthat in the end the good things in lifeβlove, friendship,
loyaltyβthey can defeat
the evil things.
Once I figured the whole psychological thing out I realized that I didnβt love
fairytales any less because Iβd
figured them out. I realized I loved them more. And because I love fairytales
and their retellings so much
Iβve put together a list of my top 5 favorite fairytale retellings and I hope
you love them as much as I do.
1.) The Looking Glass WarsΒ byΒ Frank Beddor β this is the first book in a trilogy
that sees Alice in
Wonderland taking on a whole new, steampunk feel. A relatively late comer to
this series (I picked all three
books up off the bargain table at a Barnes and Noble) and spent an entire
weekend going βnot now Iβm
readingβ. Now whenever my husband sees one of them on my nightstand he just
plans on ordering pizza
to feed him and the kids.
2.) Enchantment byΒ Orson Scott CardβIβm not a fan of his politics but I donβt
think anyone can deny
that Orson Scott Card can write one heck of a story and in my honest opinion
this one leaves Enders Game
in the dust. A retelling of Sleeping Beauty thatβs set in Post-Soviet Russia it
involves time travel, a talking
bear with one eye, Baba Yaga and a disappearing 747βall of it told from the poor
confused heroβs POV.
3.) Ella EnchantedΒ byΒ Gail Carson LevineβWho doesnβt love a good Cinderella
story? And one with a
couple of inept fairy godmothers who keep screwing things up? The story would be
a keeper just from
that but throw in spunky Ella and her view on the world and that just makes it a
classic as far as Iβm
concerned.
4.) Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the WestΒ byΒ Gregory
MaguireβBefore the musical
there was the book. Wicked embodies the spirit of βthe winners write historyβ
better than any other book
Iβve ever read. This book tells things from the other side though and it
changed how I watched the Wizard
of Oz from that day forward.
5.) Sisters RedΒ byΒ Jackson PearceβLittle Red Riding Hood with an ax to
grindβquite literally. Scarlett
and Rosie are characters that captured my heart and sort of made me wish I could
have traded my brother
in for a sister back when we were young.
Everlast
Allie Munroe has only ever wanted to belong, maybe even be well liked. But even
though sheβs nice and
smart and has a couple of friends, sheβs still pretty much the invisible girl at
school. So when the chance
to work with her friends and some of the popular kids on an English project
comes up, Allie jumps at the
chance to be noticed.
And her plan would have worked out just fineβ¦if they hadnβt been sucked into a
magical realm through a
dusty old book of fairy tales in the middle of the library.
Now, Allie and her classmates are stuck in Nerissette, a world where karma rules
and your social status is
determined by what you deserve. Which makes a misfit like Allie the Crown
Princess, and her arch-rival the
scullery maid. And the only way out is for Allie to rally and lead the people of
Nerissette against the evil
forces that threaten their very existence.
One commenter will win a copy of EVERLAST
Comments
17 comments posted.
Re: Andria Buchanan | The Great Thing About Fairytales And A List Of My Top 5 Favorite Retellings
Wow, Congrats on your new book: EVERLAST. Also, Congrats on
your new series: CHRONICLES OF NERISSETTE. I have always
enjoyed reading about fairy tales and your book Everlast
sounds so fascinating. I would love to win and read your
book this Fall. Yes, I do agree that in the end the good
things in life like love, friendship, and loyalty can defeat
evil things we face in our lives. Thank You for the great
contest. Cecilia CECE from Kansas the True Wizard of OZ!!!
(Cecilia Dunbar Hernandez 12:00pm September 14, 2013)
I grew up loving to read fairytales but never really
considered why I so enjoyed them. Your book sounds intriguing
with the setting in a book of fairytales and the modern school
kid characters who suddenly find themselves there.
(G. Bisbjerg 2:51pm September 14, 2013)
That's the thing with fairy tales. It only show one side of the story. Like Snow White rewritten by Neil Gaiman, I will never see Snow White like I do when I was a kid. Wicked and the Stepsister by Maguire, both are another side of the stories. Ever After with Drew Berrymore as Cinderella is another side of the story from all of the characters' point of view.
They are the kind of stories, I would go back to.
(Kai Wong 2:52pm September 14, 2013)
I would have loved to experienced Nerissette. Sounds
captivating and special. Your book is unique and wonderful.
(Sharon Berger 4:35pm September 14, 2013)
I've read all of Gregory Maguire's books, so I'm familiar with his sense of humor. Wicked was the book that got me started. I'm really looking forward to reading your book, to see your take on these stories, since I've always loved Fairy Tales, regardless of their form. This should be quite the adventure, and I should have quite an interesting start to my Fall reading. Congratulations on your book!!
(Peggy Roberson 4:50pm September 14, 2013)
What a gorgeous book cover! I have always loved fairy tales. There are so many spin-off stories and movies from many of them, which gives us a whole new unique story from the original. Yours sounds different and I would really enjoy reading it very much.
(Linda Luinstra 4:57pm September 14, 2013)
Congrats on the release! I have always been a fan of fairy tales, and I love when
I find a re-telling of the classics!
(Becca Luman 6:27pm September 14, 2013)
I really enjoy reading books like this. Your book sounds wonderful!
(Kathy Morrison 2:06am September 15, 2013)
I love fairytales today and even as a child they are always
happily ever after which is always the best
(Denise Smith 9:36am September 15, 2013)
I love the magic of fairy tales. This sounds like a very good book and I look forward to reading it. Also, I love the cover art. Thanks for the opportunity to win a copy.
(Ann Martinisi 11:02am September 15, 2013)
I loved Wicked. It really made me think and I loved how the author didn't just tell you everything. There were parts I still had questions about after reading the book. Looking forward to reading your take on fairy tales in the new book.
(Pam Howell 12:34pm September 15, 2013)
This sounds like a great read. Carol Conerly 9/15/13
(Carol Conerly 4:53pm September 15, 2013)
A few new books to check out-cool. I like the concept of your book.
(Laura Gullickson 9:11pm September 15, 2013)
I love Fairy Tales and this sounds like an interesting adaptation.
(Marcy Shuler 5:25pm September 16, 2013)
A great post thank you. Fairy Tales can be very dark, but I do
love them still.
(Mary Preston 8:48pm September 16, 2013)
This sounds like an amazing story... Congrats !!!
(Gina Keitz 3:25pm September 19, 2013)
Congrats for your book.
Honestly, maybe i'm too old to read fairytales but i just love it. Nice to read and told it to my students, they are still 4 till 6 years old. They always looked so exited to hear me read it. And that was one of my spirit to start my day and finishing my works well.
(Rina Darmayanti 5:43pm September 25, 2013)
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